The government of Karnataka will remove its control over liquor prices from April 2026 under a new excise policy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that alcohol companies will be allowed to decide the prices of their products instead of the government fixing them.
The state will introduce a new tax system based on the alcohol content in beverages and reduce price categories from 16 to eight to simplify the process. Officials say the reform will make the system more transparent and encourage competition among brands. Karnataka, with cities like Bengaluru, is one of India’s largest liquor markets.